ORLANDO, Fla. — Innovative Interfaces is pleased to congratulate Wes Osborn, executive director of Information Technology for the Central Library Consortium in Ohio, recipient of the 2018 IUG Beacon Award at the IUG conference in Orlando, Fla.
As a Polaris ILS user and former member of the Polaris Users Group Steering Committee, Osborn has shown exceptional service to the IUG community. Always willing to share his knowledge through conference presentations, SQL statements, and library documentation, he has been instrumental in advancing the mission of the IUG.
During his tenure with the Steering Committee, Osborn made a number of significant improvements. He authored a monthly email newsletter, requested upgraded financial reporting, and advocated for by-laws review and updates. He is highly regarded as an excellent communicator and problem solver among Polaris users.
“IUG wouldn’t be the organization it is today without participants like Wes,” said Kathy Setter, MORE Project Manager withIndianhead Federated Library System, and Chair of IUG Steering Committee. “We are very fortunate to have members so willing to share their knowledge year after year.”
Osborn currently serves as a moderator and subject matter expert for two Innovative Idea Lab Challenges and has contributed several inspiring ideas for product enhancement and development.
“His knowledge of Polaris shines through and that makes him a very valuable member of our IUG community,” said Kathie Brown, Coordinator of Automation Services with Farmington Community Library, and IUG Steering Committee member focused on Enhancements Special Projects. “Wes is not afraid to think creatively and challenge ideas to make things better for everyone.”
Initiated in 2007, the Beacon Award is presented each year to honor an IUG member who shows exceptional service to the IUG through presentations, collaborations, sage advice to others, and selfless dedication to libraries as a whole.
Award recipients are nominated by colleagues and peers in the IUG community and selected by the Beacon Award Selection Committee, headed by the current IUG Past-Chair. Any librarian or staff member at an IUG member library is eligible for the award.
For more information about the Innovative Users Group, visit the IUG website.
About IUG
The Innovative Users Group (IUG) was formally organized in 1991 as an international organization of member libraries that use Innovative’s integrated library software products. The organization is independent from Innovative, and is led by the Steering Committee whose members are elected by the general membership. All members of the Steering Committee volunteer their services to the organization. In addition to archiving all conference presentation materials, the IUG maintains a website (www.innovativeusers.org) that also includes an Online Clearinghouse of member-developed resources including tutorials, scripts, training documents, and promotional materials. These resources represent a level of customer involvement and support unmatched in the library technology arena.
About Innovative
Innovative (www.iii.com) provides leading technology solutions and services that empower libraries and enrich their users worldwide. Innovative offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of library automation products on the market today, serving academic, public, national, corporate, and special libraries, and consortia. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Innovative has a global presence—serving thousands of libraries in 66 countries and offices worldwide.